As the flatbed passed underneath the X-ray, the CBP officer squinted at the screen. Long lines of rebar shone like glow sticks on the picture. The officer’s eyes traced the load until they landed on something peculiar. Beneath the rebar lay a line of bricks. The officer dialed the K9 unit. The dogs could barely… Read more »
Rob hovered his thumb over the ‘transfer funds’ button, his hand trembling. With one tap, $75,000 would leave his bank account. In return, he would receive a 6-digit number with no official record of authority. He tapped the button. His crime ring would last a few more months. Across social media, thousands of MC numbers… Read more »
Many freight agents wince when they hear that all-too-familiar phrase: “We’re happy with our current broker.” For most, this is a nail in the coffin. The sale is through. On to the next one. But seasoned freight agents, those with the largest books of business, treat this objection as the opening move, not the final… Read more »
The top 3% of freight agents generate 80% of the gross industry revenue. Consider that. There are 30,000 active freight brokerages. 900 of those freight brokerages make 80% of the money. In a vast sea of freight agents with relatively similar service offerings, how does anyone rise to the top? How does anyone differentiate themselves?… Read more »
Double-brokering happens when a load is accepted, often by a fraudulent carrier, and then handed off to another broker without the shipper’s knowledge. This might sound like a mere annoyance at first, but the issue comes when the load is stolen or violated. In that situation, responsibility is tremendously difficult to peg down. Double-brokering is… Read more »
Have you ever purchased a $6,000 tire? Most carriers have. They just didn’t know it. So what are the best semi-truck tires for every position? As rates improve but costs remain historically high, many carriers have turned to ‘budget-friendly’ tires to preserve razor-thin margins. Ironically, cheap tires can end up costing thousands more in maintenance… Read more »
Bourbon and ribs are flying off the shelves at a record pace. Sellers only wish they were being paid for. With $500,000 in bourbon and a truckload of Shake Shack stolen, the food fight continues. As trucking’s struggle with freight crime continues, the headlines continue to get stranger: hundreds of thousands of dollars in booze… Read more »
Legos. KitKats. Guy Fieri. What do all these things have in common? They are all favorites of cargo thieves and make up the weirdest stolen loads. As the scope of freight crime increases, criminals are turning to more obscure freight to turn a profit, sometimes at the expense of half a million KitKats. Let’s dive… Read more »
If you feel like all your local law enforcement seem to be hitting the road at once in mid-July, it’s not a coordinated police vacation: It’s Operation Safe Driver Week. The CVSA’s annual “Operation Safe Driver Week” is just around the corner, bringing a renewed emphasis on driver safety and an increase in roadside scrutiny…. Read more »
As the endless blur of a South Carolina forest whizzed by Anthony Moore, his headlights shone on something in the road. That something became a someone, and that someone was running straight toward his truck. This moment would soon be known as the incident where a trucker thwarts kidnapping. Anthony threw his foot onto the brake,… Read more »
